


Memento Diligere

by tobysbees



Category: The X files, The X-Files
Genre: Cancer Arc, Episode AU: s04e14 Memento Mori, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 19:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4636605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobysbees/pseuds/tobysbees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dana Scully's cancer diagnosis prompts Melissa to reveal something she's been keeping from her sister.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memento Diligere

She couldn’t help but fidget nervously with her purse, sitting beside her sister’s hospital bed. Dana was asleep, so she decided to take a break from putting on a brave face. Truthfully, she was exhausted from driving down with their mother, exhausted from being that ray of positivity - for Dana, for Maggie, and frankly for Mulder too. But she knew that’s what they needed, so while they were conscious, while they were with her, that’s what she would be for them. But for now, she was taking a breather.

Melissa played with the zipper of her purse, flicking the pull-tab back and forth absentmindedly as she thought about the things she has shared with her sister and also the things she hasn’t. Dana stirred, and she jumped, sitting up straight, channeling the positivity she knew her sister would be expecting.

“You’re up,” she stupidly declared.

“I thought you left with mom,” Dana muttered sleepily.

“Nah, mom went to the motel to take a nap,” she replied, smiling at her sister.

“Mom took the car? How are you going to get back later?” Dana, nurturing Dana, always so concerned.

“Don’t worry about it, I have my ways. How are you feeling anyway?”

“Alright, I guess,” she moaned as she propped herself up against a pillow to sit up.

Melissa cringed at the sight of her sister like this. Dana was the strong one, what was she going to do without… she purged the thought from her mind before she could finish it. No, I’m not going to start thinking that way.

“Dana –,” she started.

“Missy, it’s fine. It’s just the chemo is making me feel a little more tired than I’m used to but I promise, I’m okay. I can’t have you worrying about me like mom.”

“But I do worry,” her voice cracked as she fought to stop the hot tears flooding her vision and threatening to stream down her cheeks. She could feel Dana watching her and waiting. Waiting for the tears to start flowing, waiting for her to finish her thought, waiting to reassure her that she’s fine, even though she’s not. Typical Dana, always looking out for her. “I worry about you Dana, and if our positions were reversed, I know you’d be worried too, so don’t tell me it’s fine.”

“Our positions were reversed, and I was worried,” the words left her lips softly and hung over the room in an uneasy air. Melissa looked away from Dana. She made a miraculous recovery after being shot in Dana’s apartment over a year ago and she knew Dana still carried the guilt of that accident on her shoulders. “Missy, I’m going to be okay.”

Dana reached out her hand towards her and she grasped it thankfully. What the hell am I going to do if I lose… For fuck’s sake, stop thinking that way Melissa!

She felt stubborn tears pressing against her eyelashes, despite her every effort to hold them back. She smiled at her sister and thumbed them away as they formed, still grasping Scully’s hand with her left.

“Okay, enough with the cancer talk,” Melissa let out with an airy, uncomfortable laugh, as she pulled back, leaning against her chair, “You seeing anyone, sis?”

Dana laughed, genuinely laughed, and Melissa brightened at the glimpse of Dana as she had always known her – healthy, happy, albeit a bit reproachful towards some of Melissa’s choices.

“You know I’m not,” Dana replied.

“Oh come on, not even Fox?” Melissa nudged.

“Mulder,” Dana corrected, “And Missy, stop, we’ve been through this.”

I would miss teasing her, Melissa thought, and then instantly cursed the invasive thoughts circling the landscape of her mind. If she let herself be honest though, what she would miss most is telling her sister everything. They were always close growing up, and even when they disagreed, Dana was always her first pillar of support. She couldn’t lose that. And just like that, she felt not only the tears she had been fighting back welling into an uncomfortable knot in the back of her throat, but her secret as well.

“What about you?” Dana pushed, just on cue, “You always tease me about Mulder, but you never want to talk about who you’re seeing.”

“Actually –,” she started.

“There is someone, isn’t there!” Dana was beaming and Melissa couldn’t help but feel relieved to see her sister forget about the cancer, even for just a moment.

“Um, well, yeah, there is,” she looked at the floor and stumbled over her words, searching desperately for a way to tell Dana.

“Oh my god, the car! You’re not staying at the hotel with mom are you?” Realization had reached Dana.

“Well no, I’m not –,” Melissa answered.

“I can’t believe you!”

“I really want you to meet her,” Melissa said. She didn’t even realize the words were coming out of her mouth until they did, but she didn’t regret telling Dana, not as she said them and not as a surprised smile creeped across her sister’s face. She needed her to know, she couldn’t— she would never live it down if Dana’s cancer claimed her before she could tell her. She was so excited and nervous, her hands wandered to the zip of her purse beside her again.

“So when can I meet her?” Scully smiled at her sister, her eyes filled with hope and excitement and Melissa was almost speechless.

“She’s actually hanging around the cafeteria.”

“She’s waiting here for you?” Dana sounded touched and surprised, “How long have you been seeing each other?

“About 6 months now,” Melissa replied. “I actually met her while I was doing those follow-up interviews about the shooting…”

Melissa’s voice trailed as Dana calculated what she was implying, but Melissa couldn’t wait for her to figure it out on her own.

“She’s FBI, so you might already know her,” Melissa offered, watching Dana’s eyebrows rise in time with the corners of her lips in surprised curiosity.

“What’s her name?”

“Monica,” Melissa replied, wondering if the name would sound familiar to her sister’s ears, “Monica Reyes?”

“I haven’t heard of her, she must work in a different division.”

“Do you want to meet her now?” Melissa offered, praying that her voice wouldn’t betray her hopefulness for Dana to agree. She wasn’t exactly at her best, so Melissa expected some hesitation.

Scully beamed at her sister, “Yes, I really, truly do.”

Melissa stood from her chair and smiled.

“Okay I’ll be right back,” she said as she walked out of the room with a slight skip in her stride.


End file.
